The generosity of a donor to Westfield State University is music to the ears of students in Belchertown.
The person who anonymously honored Catherine Dower, a longtime chairwoman of the Westfield State music department, with a $1.1 million gift also made a request — that the university earn All-Steinway School recognition. That means Westfield State had to replace its pianos so only those made by Steinway & Sons are used on campus.
“At first we were like, what are we going to do with all these pianos?” says Andrew Bonacci, now chairman of the university’s music department. “It’s a cool problem to have.”
Westfield State needed to find new homes for about 25 Baldwin, Yamaha, Kawai and other brand-name pianos, and, as a public university, could give them only to nonprofits or other public institutions. They are being donated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Due to the initiative of Geoffrey Gould, a music teacher at the Swift River Elementary School, Belchertown students will benefit from six of those pianos. When Gould, who taught for 15 years in the Westfield schools, learned that the university had gotten its All-Steinway designation in September, he inquired about the old pianos.
Belchertown High School received two grand pianos and two upright pianos. Two more upright pianos are now at the Chestnut Hill Community School. “It’s a huge windfall. We’re really thrilled,” says Brian Messier, director of the high school band.”This is the type of thing an annual budget would never be able to support.”
Gould adds, “It really means populating our school system with quality instruments. We’re blessed enough to have a community that values the fine arts and champions music programs.
“For me, the most exciting part is that I grew up in Belchertown and I got a Belchertown education and I fell in love with music in Belchertown schools. The fact that I’ve had a pretty big impact bringing quality instruments back to town is a pretty big thing for me.”
We’re certain that those pianos will sound a nice note in Belchertown schools for years to come.
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We are glad that the anxious days for the owner of Omar, a 10-year-old papillon injured Dec. 30 in an attack by another dog, ended after little more than a week.
Sheena See of Florence was at the Saw Mill Hills Conservation Area near Spring Street with Omar off his leash when he was attacked by one of three other dogs, also unleashed, that accompanied cross-country skiers.
Concerned about Omar’s injuries, See took him to a veterinary hospital without getting information about the other dog from its owner. Because it was not known if the attacking dog’s rabies vaccination was up-to-date, Omar was placed on a 45-day quarantine that meant he was confined to See’s property on a leash.
See appealed on social media and in a story published in the Gazette for the attacking dog’s owner to come forward. On Jan. 7, See posted on Facebook that the other dog had been found, was up-to-date on all its vaccinations and that its owner agreed to pay the cost of treating Omar’s injuries.
“It’s just amazing to me,” See says. “It kind of restores my faith in humanity. It’s just a big relief.”
We salute that woman, who was not identified by authorities, for doing the right thing.
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Kudos to Hampshire College in Amherst for becoming the first residential college in the U.S. to achieve 100 percent solar energy after it received permission last month from Eversource to operate a 19-acre solar-energy system.
Hampshire expects to generate more power than it uses each year. SolarCity Corp., a subsidiary of Tesla Inc., owns and operates the 15,000 photovoltaic-panel arrays on campus, and the college buys electricity from the company at a fixed rate.
Hampshire officials expect to save $8 million over 20 years by using the solar system, which also will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3,000 metric tons annually — or the equivalent of taking 650 vehicles off the road.
“I think it’s terrific that a little college in snow country can go 100 percent solar,” says Hampshire President Jonathan Lash. “If we can do it, anybody can do it.”
That’s a fitting lesson delivered by the 48-year-old college known for its innovative approach to education.